


Give peace a chance

by Mialienes



Category: Super Junior, Super Junior-M
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-03
Updated: 2014-01-03
Packaged: 2018-01-07 06:28:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1116593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mialienes/pseuds/Mialienes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zhou Mi isn't pleased at being assigned to work with the famous (egotistical, arrogant) rapper, Kyupac. </p><p>But as Henry Lennon says: maybe he just needs to give peace a chance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Give peace a chance

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this performance at SMTown week: [check it check it](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BajsSgZa7yQ).

Zhou Mi frowns at his boss. "Have I displeased you?"

"Zhou Mi, what are you talking about?" Heechul replies distractedly as he coos at the cat in his lap. Heechul's cat, Heebum, glares at Zhou Mi balefully. There are times when Heechul is the nicest man in the world, and there are times - like now - when he seems like a crazy dictator intent on world domination. 

Heechul has just given Zhou Mi his latest assignment, and it feels like a punishment. His boss has a fairly short fuse, which is perhaps understandable considering the pressure behind running a music company (and possible plans for world domination). Zhou Mi has been in the company as an in-house composer and producer for several years, and so far - up to now - it's been great. His liver has suffered a lot, but other than that: great. 

But this latest assignment… 

"You're punishing me."

"Do I really seem like that spiteful a person?" 

Zhou Mi raises an eyebrow and doesn't respond, crossing his arms and leaning back into his chair. 

"Okay, okay, yes I am. But I'm not punishing you. Not this time. And I thought you'd enjoy this anyway. You're the one who keeps talking about expanding your musical horizons." 

"I said that one time and I was DRUNK, remember?" It had been at their office Christmas party, and Heechul had threatened to fire him if he didn't keep drinking the shots that had been lined up on the bar. Zhou Mi doesn't remember much after that, but apparently he'd stripped off his shirt and streaked through the lobby of the building they'd been at. It wasn't really his best moment. "Look, I just don't think I can do this? Rap isn't really my thing." Zhou Mi is more of a sappy, mournful love song kind of musician. It's not that he doesn't like hip hop, he just doesn't really understand the appeal behind people talking very fast over music.

"Zhou Mi, you're doing this, it's not a request. Kyupac needs a composer to work with him on his latest album and you're it. He writes his own raps anyway, you just need to work with him to produce the phat beats."

"Please never use that word again," Zhou Mi huffs, before whining like a child. "Why him? Why me?"

Zhou Mi hasn't listened to any of Kyupac's music, but by reports and sales, he's one of the most sought after, popular rappers of the moment. He also has a reputation for being an obnoxious, egotistical brat. Zhou Mi has only met him once, at that company Christmas function. The other man had looked him up and down judgingly behind his signature sunglasses before being pulled away by one of his entourage. Zhou Mi still remembers how he felt being appraised and he's not keen to repeat the experience.

"Why can't I work with Wookie Smalls?"

"It's too late, I've already assigned Henry to him. You'll be better for Kyupac anyway. Now, off you go." Heechul makes a shooing motion and Heebum shuffles in irritation. "Go get your swag on."

"If you say that word again, I'm going to stage my own death and frame you for murder." 

*

Zhou Mi's second meeting with Kyupac doesn't go much better than the first. He's arranged to meet him at a cafe near their company building and Zhou Mi sits there for an hour before his patience snaps.

When Kyupac eventually shows - an hour and fifteen minutes late, not that anyone is counting - Zhou Mi is on the phone to Henry, complaining heartily about rappers with big egos who think it's beneath them to be punctual. Zhou Mi quickly ends his call and hopes that Kyupac didn't catch the tail end of his conversation. If he did, he doesn't say anything, instead just choosing to slouch into the chair opposite Zhou Mi. Kyupac is clothed in an all black ensemble, including a black skinny tie, with a silver chain slung around his neck. To complete the "I'm cooler than you" effect he hasn't removed his sunglasses. He never does. 

"Yo," he says in greeting, tilting his head up into a nod. He's younger looking in person, with rounded cheeks, brown hair that's getting slightly too long to be stylish, and a full mouth. "You must be Zhou Mi." His voice is lower and smoother than Zhou Mi expected.

"Yes," Zhou Mi says, a little testily. "And you must be late."

"Yup." Obviously an apology isn't going to be forthcoming. Ass. 

"Right. Well let's talk about music. So I've got some beats that I think would be good and have started to develop melodies around them. Do you read music?" Zhou Mi begins, opening his notebook and pushing it towards Kyupac. The other man doesn't respond or reach for the book, instead just sitting back and looking at him blankly. When the silence gets overwhelming, Zhou Mi says, "You don't read music?" Kyupac still doesn't respond, so Zhou Mi flounders on. "Well… did you… have you got something in mind? I can work around your ideas?" 

Kyupac finally speaks, telling Zhou Mi in a low drawl. "Your face is weird." 

"I… what?"

"Your face is weird. You have these very stern eyebrows and a really long nose."

YOUR face is weird, Zhou Mi wants to retort childishly, but he just manages to hold it in. "Right. Okay, well I'm glad we've had this conversation. Do you want to talk about your music now? You know, the thing that makes you money?" Something about the other man just seems to press Zhou Mi's buttons, and he can't quite keep the disdain out of his voice. 

Kyupac shrugs. "Whatever."

Zhou Mi looks at him incredulously. "Are you high?" 

"Of course not." 

"Did you have a lobotomy?" Zhou Mi can't help the barb that slips out. He immediately winces, expecting a very negative reaction from Kyupac, but instead the other man just shrugs his shoulder again. 

"Dunno, what's a lobo-whatie?"

Surely he can't be _that_ dumb. His "I'm too cool" attitude makes Zhou Mi want to lean across the table and hit him. "You know what, maybe we don't need to physically meet to do this," he suggests. "Heechul gave me your phone number, so I assume you have mine. Call me if you need to talk about anything, but otherwise I'll do a quick recording of what I have so far and email it to you."

"Yeah sure, whatever man." Kyupac agrees easily, the perfect picture of nonchalance and Zhou Mi only barely manages to resist the growing urge to punch him in the face. 

*

"How'd it go with Kyupac?" Henry asks as they meet later that week for a drink. "Is he as much of a asshole as you thought?"

"He's worse than I thought, HenHen," Zhou Mi complains. "He was over an hour late, and when he finally arrived he wasn't interested in discussing his album at all. Let's swap, can we swap?" He does his best puppy dog expression, eyes wide and lower lip sticking out slightly. 

"No, no," Henry protests, a hand coming up to cover his eyes. "Don't do that face, it freaks me out. Besides, Wookie and I have laid down several tracks already, I can't swap." 

"Why can't I get the nice one? Why do I get stuck with the arrogant asshole?" Zhou Mi grumbles. He waves the bartender over and orders himself and Henry a beer, handing over the company credit card. Heechul is going to pay for these drinks, he decides, since Zhou Mi is being driven to alcohol because of Kyupac. 

(Heechul will also probably flay him alive when the credit card bills arrive, but that's a problem for another month.)

"When are you seeing him again?"

Zhou Mi crunches on the complimentary beer nuts, staring morosely at the table. "I'm not, I told him I'd send him some stuff." 

"Oh." The judgemental way Henry says that word makes Zhou Mi look up. 

"What?" 

"Just… well, it's unlike you to not get along with someone. I mean, you've only seen him for a maximum of five minutes and you're already talking like he's your enemy." Henry sips his beer and pulls the bowl of nuts away from Zhou Mi." All I'm saying is, give peace a chance. Also - don't eat those nuts, you don't know who's touched them."

Zhou Mi stares at him like he's sprouted an extra head. He lifts his hand and pats Henry on the head to double check.

"What?"

"Have I entered another dimension? When did you become so mature?"

Henry scoffs and fixes his hair. "It's the spirit of Lennon moving through me. Hey, want to do shots?" 

*

They order tequila shots, and it's during the 8th? 9th? one that Zhou Mi realises Henry is right. He never really gave Kyupac a chance. Also he loves everyone and everything and oh the room is spinning. But hey! That's okay because he likes spinning! It's fun!

"Peace is the way, Henners," he slurs, propping himself on Henry's shoulder before perking up at the start of the next track that plays. "Heyyyyy I love this song. Dance time!" he chirps, pulling Henry out to the dance floor. 

*

Dancing is fun!

Tequila is fun!

Henry is the best friend ever! 

LIFE IS AMAZING. 

*

The next morning, life is not so amazing. In fact, Zhou Mi regrets life. 

He regrets life A LOT.

He particularly regrets the fact that there's someone loudly pounding on his front door, loud enough for the noise to reverberate through his entire apartment, driving spikes of pain through his head. He pulls a pillow over his face and groans, waiting for them to stop.

The pounding doesn't stop. 

Zhou Mi throws his pillow across the room, wincing as it hits his bookshelf, causing items to crash on to the floor. "FINE," he shouts, "I'M GETTING UP," as he staggers to the front door, yanking it open.

He's greeted by a brightly smiling Henry. "Morning Sunshine!" 

"I hate you." 

Henry holds up a brown paper bag, dangling it in front of Zhou Mi's nose. "I brought you hangover food. And painkillers."

Zhou Mi reconsiders, letting Henry into his apartment as he snatches the bag from him. "I take that back. I just strongly dislike you."

They end up on Zhou Mi's couch, scoffing the burgers that Henry brought. The grease immediately helps to calm the churning in Zhou Mi's stomach and the throbbing in his head is slowly easing thanks to the painkillers.

"So did you talk to Kyupac?" Henry asks around a mouthful of food, cheeks puffed out like a hamster. 

Zhou Mi pushes his jaw up to close his mouth. "Don't talk and eat. And why would I talk to Kyupac? I told you yesterday that I was just going to email him stuff."

"No, remember after the dancing you said you were going to call him? Because peace is the only way?"

Zhou Mi's stomach drops to the floor as a chill runs through him. To be honest, much of the previous night is a blur. He vaguely remembers flailing his limbs into something that resembled the Saturday Night Fever dance, and nothing beyond that - it's a wonder he managed to get home safely. "I said that?" He scrambles for his phone to check his call history. 

"Oh my god," Zhou Mi groans as he presses through his phone screen with greasy fingers. "I did call him. At 3am."

"And did he pick up?" Henry asks, peering over his shoulder. 

"He must've? The call lasted for 15 minutes." Zhou Mi doesn't remember the conversation at all. He slaps himself in the forehead, hand running down his face and smearing oil on his skin. 

"Well hopefully you didn't tell him what you really think of him," Henry supplies helpfully. Then not so helpfully: "I bet you did though. You were pretty drunk."

"Hensiiiiiiii," Zhou Mi whines, only to be interrupted by a meeting notification popping up on his phone: _meat kyupakk - caffae._ He looks at it in confusion. "What?"

Henry has a look. "You're meeting Kyupac at the cafe," he translates. "Looks like you scheduled a meeting when you talked to him last night. " When Zhou Mi gives him a _how can you understand that_ look, Henry clarifies. "I've had a lot of practice in deciphering your drunk messages since you seem to text me every time you're drunk. Once you even accidentally sent me a sext meant for someone else." Henry frowns heavily. "At least, I really really hope it was for someone else. Cos you know, bro, we're friends but I don't like you that way. Thank goodness it wasn't a photo because there's no way I want to see your dick." 

Zhou Mi chooses to ignore that statement because he has a more pressing issue to think about. "No, I can't meet him. Noooooo."

"You better go so you can apologise in person. Because I'm sure you told him last night he's an asshole, and he'll probably try and get you fired. By the way you might want to hurry - it's in 30 minutes."

"Oh my god, why are we friends?"

"Because I'm devastatingly handsome and supremely talented."

"Hensing, I've changed my mind. I do hate you."

*

Thirty minutes is not a long time, and Zhou Mi - unsurprisingly - is late in meeting Kyupac. He's literally running, long limbs swinging wildly as he enters the cafe, to find Kyupac already there. As soon as he sees him, Zhou Mi stops short, trying to act casual and hoping Kyupac hasn't noticed him.

It's a fairly useless attempt because how could anyone miss a giant flailing man? 

"You're late," Kyupac says briskly. Even though he's wearing his sunglasses (natch), Zhou Mi can tell Kyupac is eyeing him up and down. 

"Yeah, I, uh, I forgot." Hey, if Kyupac doesn't apologise for being late, neither will Zhou Mi.

"Coffee?" Kyupac asks him as he raises a hand to summon a waiter.

"Yeah, a litre would be good," Zhou Mi mutters, mostly to himself. The edge of Kyupac's mouth lifts into a smirk. 

"Hung over? You sounded pretty drunk when we talked last night." 

Oh crap, they really did talk. 

"Yeaaah, about that... if I said anything... unprofessional, I didn't mean it." 

"So you don't think I'm the douchiest douchebag that's ever had the pleasure of existing?"

Zhou Mi tries not to shrink into his chair. Act cool, Zhou Mi, act cool. "Did I say that?" 

"No you didn't."

"Oh thank fuck," bursts out of Zhou Mi inadvertently as relief rushes through him. 

However, Zhou Mi's moment of relief is short lived. "But you did tell me that I'm a gigantic asshole whose popularity is only due to the fact that I'm hot, that rap has no artistic merit, and I should just take the money I've earned so far and retire with my bitches and hoes."

Unfortunately, that does sound like something Zhou Mi would say when drunk. Drunk Zhou Mi is a bit of a opinionated, mouthy bastard, who also apparently sends sexts to his friends. Who knew! "I'm... sorry?"

"You don't remember our conversation at all, do you?" 

There's no point pretending. "Nope," Zhou Mi confesses. "Unfortunately - or maybe fortunately - I don't remember it at all. And why are we meeting anyway?" he asks. "Is this so you can torture me before you get me fired?" 

"I wanted to know if what you said was true. Whether you'd say those things to my face when you were sober." Kyuhyun's demeanor is completely cool as he asks that question, so calm it's like a challenge. 

"Ahh..." Zhou Mi thinks about his options. Hell, if he's going to be fired anyway, he may as well go for broke. "Yes, it's true," he shoots back. "You can't rap for shit, your lyrics are rubbish, you treat people terribly, and your ego is the size of Jupiter." The first two points might be a lie because he still hasn't listened to a Kyupac album, but he reckons they're probably true. 

"And I'm only popular because I'm hot?" 

Did Zhou Mi really say that? Doesn't matter. Go for broke. "Yup. And even if you made that part up, I do think you're the douchiest douchebag that's ever existed."

Kyupac raises an eyebrow, the expression on his face unreadable. "Thanks, that's all I needed to know." He pulls out his wallet, placing some notes on the table. "That should cover the bill. Enjoy your coffee." 

Zhou Mi buries his nose into his mug. He's so fired. No, he's worse than fired. Heechul is going to string him up, cut off his balls, and offer them to his cats to use as toys. 

This is all Henry's fault. Peace and love. Blah. It's time for war. 

*

As expected, Zhou Mi is summoned to Heechul's office a couple of hours later. Zhou Mi takes a deep sigh and squares his shoulders before pushing the door open. He may as well take it like a man. 

He's surprised to see Kyupac sitting there with Heechul, surveying him coolly behind sunglasses. The sunglasses again, always with the damn sunglasses. He must be here to witness Zhou Mi's downfall personally. Bastard.

"Ahh, hi..." 

"Zhou Mi," Heechul begins, steepling his fingers in front of him as he leans on his desk. "This is my regular meeting with Kyupac, and he suggested that you be in attendance. How's the work going?" 

What? Is Heechul stringing this out before he fires him? 

"Umm," Zhou Mi sputters. "I have a few ideas..."

"Zhou Mi played a few sample melodies to me last night." Kyupac supplies. "Based on those I've started a couple of raps."

Zhou Mi's head snaps up so quickly it would fly off if it wasn't attached to his neck. "Yes? Yes." Heechul is nodding in satisfaction. 

"Great, I'm glad to hear that you two seem to be working well together. I wasn't sure when you requested Zhou Mi that it would be a good fit, but everything seems to be okay." Heechul claps his hands decisively. "Good, you can leave now. I'll see you both next week for another progress report."

Did Heechul kill him already? Is he dead? Or maybe he's currently floating in the ether between life and death. Zhou Mi surreptitiously pinches himself. 

Ouch. 

He tries again.

Still ouch.

Maybe if he slaps his face?

Heechul clears his throat. "Zhou Mi? I dismissed you, why haven't you left? And stop touching yourself like that - it's creepy."

Zhou Mi drifts out of Heechul's office in a daze. 

*

Kyupac is waiting for him outside. He grabs Zhou Mi's elbow as he walks past, pulling him to a halt. 

Zhou Mi still doesn't know what's happening, and when his brain cells start firing enough to control his mouth again, he asks, "I don't understand? I'm not fired?"

"Why would I fire you when I asked specifically for you?" Kyupac asks him. 

"Why would you ask for me?" Maybe there was something in that coffee he drank earlier and he's currently hallucinating. He leans forward to steer into Kyupac's sunglasses, his reflection in the dark lenses all distorted. Is this what it feels like to be high? "Why not someone with hip hop experience?"

Kyupac looks at him like he's the dumbest of the dumb and pushes him back so he's out of his personal space. "Because I like your music, idiot. And I want to do something fresh, so your inexperience in hip hop is a positive."

"But I told you that you're an asshole - to your face. Why am I not fired?"

"Do you really think I'd fire someone just because they don't like me?"

"Yes."

Kyupac finally takes off his sunglasses, pushing them up to the top of his head. Zhou Mi is still dazed and confused, but he idly thinks that Kyupac has very nice eyes. 

"Do you know what the problem with being popular and very, very, very good looking is?" Kyupac asks him breezily. "People stop telling you what they really think, and only say what they think you want to hear. So I need people who are brave enough to give me their real opinion." 

And then Kyuhyun shrugs, in that incredibly nonchalant way of his. "Plus I think you're cute."

Zhou Mi sputters. "You said my face was weird!"

"It is. Cute weird." 

"Right, here's an honest opinion since you like them so much. You are the most exasperating person I've ever met IN MY LIFE." And that's saying something, considering he knows both Henry and Heechul.

Kyupac gives him a cocky grin. "I look forward to working with you."

*

Zhou Mi goes home and opens YouTube, typing Kyupac into the search bar. 

An hour later, he's still hunched at his computer, stuck in a YouTube spiral of Kyupac's music videos. When one finishes he starts up another. Dammit, the man is _good_. He's the perfect combination of arrogance, confidence and - Zhou Mi hates himself for even thinking this word - swagger, with a flowing, precise delivery. His lyrics are actually deep and profound, and not just about money, bitches and hoes, as Zhou Mi had been expecting. 

He owes Kyupac an apology. 

_Hi. I watched your MVs._

_I take back my statement about you being a crap rapper._

_And I'm sorry about the other things I said._

He receives a reply immediately. 

_You still think I'm hot though, right?_

Zhou Mi can't help the short laugh that erupts from him. Such an ego. 

_Yes._

(Well, he is.)

*

Kyupac skims the wine list and then asks Zhou Mi, "Red or white?"

They're at a restaurant, and as Zhou Mi looks around at the tables covered with white linen, set with crystal glassware, and staffed by people dressed in crisp black uniforms, he comes to a startling realisation. 

"Hey!" he says to Kyupac accusingly. "Is this a date??"

"Do you want it to be?" Kyupac says serenely, before turning to the waiter standing next to the table and ordering a bottle of 2005 cabernet from Saint-Estèphe. Wine taken care of, Kyupac opens his menu and looks at Zhou Mi over the top. "What are you going to eat? The fish sounds good." 

"OH MY GOD this is a date and you didn't even tell me!" 

When Kyupac had suggested dinner, Zhou Mi had readily agreed. The two of them had been getting along well, and they've made a lot of progress on Kyupac's new album, to the point where they've recorded the first track. So Zhou Mi had assumed this dinner was eating together rather than _eating together_.

"The fact that I picked you up didn't clue you in?"

"I thought we were carpooling!"

"It's a good thing you're cute, because you're really not that smart."

"Your face isn't that smart," Zhou Mi grumbles. "I can't believe you got me on a date by stealth. Just so you know, I don't put out on first dates."

Kyupac smirks at him. "We'll see." 

*

Zhou Mi angrily yanks open his front door. He's a complete mess - shirtless, eyes bloodshot, and hair sticking in all directions. 

"Why do you never give up with the knocking?" he hisses. 

Henry pushes past, strolling into the lounge room and plonking himself down on the couch like he lives there. He throws a bulging paper bag on to the coffee table. "I brought you a hangover breakfast. How was the date?"

"How… how did you know about that?"

"You drunk texted me again." Henry props his feet up on to the coffee table, and when Zhou Mi pushes them off he just kicks them back up. "So, how was it? Did you have fun? Did you… y'know…" 

Zhou Mi flicks him on the forehead. 

"Shut up!" Zhou Mi lowers his voice to a whisper. "Don't be so loud. Kyuhyun's here."

"OHHHHHHHH. You're on real name terms AND he stayed the night. LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED. And by love, I mean hot, dirty, nasty, sexy sex." 

Zhou Mi picks up a cushion and takes aim at Henry's face, making a noise of satisfaction when it bounces off his friend's head. 

"MAKE LOVE NOT WAR." 

Zhou Mi pummels him with the rest of the cushions, keeping one in his hand so he can thwack Henry repeatedly with it.

When Kyupac enters the room, Zhou Mi is sitting on Henry's head as Henry struggles to get free. 

"Ahh. Good morning?" 

Zhou Mi turns to smile at him innocently as Henry squawks. "Good morning. Don't mind me, I'm just trying to suffocate my best friend." 

"Cool." Kyupac nods in understanding. "Hey, I gotta go - see you at the studio later?" 

"Yup, see you in a few."

A voice shouts from beneath Zhou Mi, slightly muffled, as Kyupac lets himself out, "GIVE PEACE A CHANCE." There's another squawk as Zhou Mi bounces on his head. "AND IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU, KYUPAC. I'M A BIG FAN."


End file.
